Glasses and a smile
by Neferius
Summary: Shinji has suffered so much through the angel wars. Luckily for him he'll meet a certain girl that might be able to keep him sane through the rest of the war. Shinji x Mayumi.


**A/N: This is another story that's a part of my 'pairings' series. This is my Shinji x Mayumi story…which there are few to none available anywhere. Now I, like most people, don't know Mayumi's personality that well but I do know that I changed a lot about her…you'll see.**

**I wrote this at the same time as 'Decisions and Deceptions' so that's why the two may seem similar. I'll admit that they're not my best work but they're both stories I wanted to do for a while.**

**Also, Shinji is definitely OOC since I'm not good at writing a wimp very well. He has a slight spine but just enough to seem, almost, normal. **

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**Glasses and a smile**

**Chapter One**

Shinji, Touji, Kaworu and Misato sat at a small ramen shop in the middle of the city. They were celebrating the defeat of the thirteenth angel. It was a close call for Shinji and Touji but thanks to Kaworu's quick thinking everything worked out. Touji slurped up some more ramen and mindlessly scratched at his right arm.

"Is it still bugging you" Kaworu asked.

"It's just an itch now but…why'd he have to blow off my arm again" Touji looked back at the silver haired boy.

"Unit 03 was under the threat of contamination and under protocol it was necessary to jettison the arm to save the rest of the Eva" Kaworu answered back.

"Still hurt like a bitch though and he could of at least warned me" Touji rubbed his arm once again.

"It could have been worse" Shinji said "You could have lost your arm just like your Eva did".

"I guess your right. I just wish this damn phantom pain would just go away. It's irritating" Touji grumbled.

"Awe poor baby, do you want me to kiss it and make it better" Misato joked.

"YES" Touji nearly jumped out of his chair.

"I should stick to teasing Shinji and Kaworu" Misato gave out a light sigh.

"You 'tease' me simply because I do not have a concept of supposed normal behavior. I find your logic…odd" Kaworu slurped up some more ramen.

"God you are so like Rei…" Misato said then quickly put her hand over her mouth. The atmosphere in the little ramen stand had gotten darker and everybody stopped eating. Rei, along with Asuka, was a sensitive subject. Especially for Shinji. Everybody knows it wasn't his fault but he blames himself for what happened to the two girls.

Back during the 5th angels attack, the shield that was given to Rei and Unit 00 couldn't handle the angels' energy beam and failed long before it was supposed to. Unit 00's AT-Field barely had a chance as Rei and her Eva were blasted into nothingness. The whole Unit had been vaporized not leaving a speck of anything behind.

It was only because of a lucky shot that Shinji had killed the angel. Unit 01 had suffered major damage and Shinji was in a coma for a week after the incident. He never did fully recover from Rei's death.

To make matters worse Asuka showed up. While he did slightly enjoy her company, she was too loud and too proud to be a good friend. They fought along side each other well but the 8th changed all of that.

She had dove into a volcano to extract the still embryonic form of the 8th angel. It had then broken free and attacked. With some luck and a little bit of science she successfully defeated the angel but in the possess her cables had been slashed and she plummeted into the volcano. Shinji had dove in to save her but she was just out of reach. Luckily she was able to eject the plug through the D-type equipment and escape the volcano with her life.

He can still remember her screams of pain as the temperature of her entry plug started to boil her alive. She kept on screaming till she past out from the heat just before she reached the surface. Asuka was alive but badly burned. It wasn't long till she was on a plane back to Germany.

Shinji didn't remember the burning sensation of the magma against his Eva. All he remembers was that he had once again failed. Because of the loss of both Unit 00 and Unit 02 the production and completion of Unit 03 and Unit 04 were left in the hands of Tokyo-3 and their branch of Nerv.

They were completed right before the 10th angel attacked and their pilots had only been introduced to each other the day before. Shinji didn't want Touji to pilot. He was afraid of loosing another person he knew but Touji had told him that he was doing it for his sister. That alone was enough to shut Shinji up.

Kaworu was a different story. The silver haired boy reminded him of Rei and he always seemed to be smiling. He was a natural born pilot and an excellent tactician.

The three boys had gotten close over the last couple of angels and Shinji was finally starting to get out of his depression. Every so often he would remember whom he had lost and it hurt, but he was learning that he had to move on.

The three pilots and the Major finished their dinner silently and each returned to their respective homes. The boys may have saved the city but they had a math test in the morning and none of them had studied.

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In the morning four boys could be seen walking down the street towards their school. 

"So…come on give me the details already" There was an angel attack last night and Kensuke's three friends were pilots…so he was a little hysterical when they wouldn't talk about it. Getting annoyed Touji decided to speak up.

"If we told you then we'd have to kill you" Touji joked in a serious tone. Kensuke slowed down a little hearing that.

"Your joking…right" He sputtered out.

"Who is joking" Kaworu said emotionlessly as he passed the now frozen otaku. He was finally starting to understand these 'jokes' that they played on each other and it was surprisingly amusing to him.

Back in class they were getting ready for the big math test. As Shinji looked through his book bag he was having trouble finding his pencil. Looking towards Touji he asked if he could borrow one.

"Sorry man but I already borrowed this one from Kaworu" Touji apologized and Shinji turned to Kaworu.

"That one was my only extra. I am sorry as well" Shinji just sighed in defeat and sat back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. He found a pencil dangling above his head and seen a slender hand holding it there. Turning around he seen a shy girl holding it out towards him.

"Would you like to borrow one of mine," She quietly asked. Shinji just looked dumbly at her. She was actually kind of cute when you were close to her. She had long black hair, fair skin, and looked pretty cute with her glasses on. Finally snapping out of his daze Shinji took the pencil and thanked her for her generosity.

"By the way" He turned back towards her "What's your name?" he asked causing her to slightly blush. Looking down at her desk she quietly answered him.

"Mayumi. Mayumi Yamagishi".

"Well uh…thanks again. Mayumi" Shinji turned back around.

Mayumi couldn't believe her luck. She's had a crush on Shinji since he had arrived in Tokyo-3 but never acted on it in fear of being rejected. But he just talked to her. However small the conversation was they talked together and he seemed even greater then before.

While smiling away Mayumi failed to notice two sets of eyes looking at her. The first set were happy that Shinji was talking to someone new. Even more so was the fact that it was a girl he was talking to. The other set were just watching. Something about this girl disturbed these eyes. Those eyes would need to check out a few things.

An hour later the test was finished and Shinji was rather disappointed with how he did. He put his head on his deck, hoping the problems of math would somehow just disappear.

"I should spend more time studying and less time saving the world" he mumbled.

"If you need help…you could always study with me" Mayumi quietly said then immediately started blushing as she realized she said it out loud. She covered her face with her hands to try and hide from her own embarrassment. Shinji, hearing what she said, turned around and looked at the nervous girl for a bit. She took her hands away from her face only to see Shinji smiling right at her.

"That sounds like a good idea" Shinji said with a smile. Mayumi could of died right there as a happy teenager but knew she had to be alive to experience it. It had to be a joke of some kind or some cruel prank by her class. It couldn't be real?

"Are you serious?" She asked hopefully.

"I wouldn't of said it if I didn't mean it" Shinji just looked back at her and she realized it wasn't some sick joke. Shinji Ikari actually wanted to study with her.

"Well…um when do you want to start?" She timidly asked.

"How about tonight" He asked.

"Uh…where at" She knew she couldn't do it at her place since her parents would freak out.

"We can go to my place" That's it. Mayumi's heart just stopped. Not only would she be with Shinji but also they would be at his place. The young girl couldn't take it and her breathing started getting heavy. "You all right Mayumi" those words actually made it worse. He was showing concern for her now and she was in heaven, albeit a heaven where she couldn't breath but a heaven no less.

"I'll…be okay" She took a deep breath and felt a little better.

"Well that's good. You know what. How about you just walk with me to my place. Does that sound good" Shinji just thought it would be convenient but Mayumi seen it as so much more.

"Sure that sounds great" She shyly smiled at him and he just smiled back then turned back in his desk.

During lunch Shinji, Kaworu, Kensuke, Touji, and Hikari all met up on the roof of their school. At first Hikari had been uncomfortable around the four boys but since Suzuhara grew the balls to ask her out after his first Eva mission she has grown accustomed to them.

"Alright Shin-man spill it. What's up with you and Yamagishi" Touji said while he ate the lunch Hikari had made for him.

"What are you talking about? We're just going to study together," Shinji stated while Kensuke cocked an eyebrow and spoke up.

"You do know she likes you, right" The bespectacled boy told him.

"She WHAT?" Shinji stood up, shocked.

"Why do you think she was so nervous and stuttering with you earlier" Touji said while taking another bite 'God this is good' he gobbled up some more "I seen you two talking Shinji. I also seen the looks you gave her".

"What looks" Shinji squeaked like a prepubescent child.

"What he's trying to say" Hikari spoke up "is that there was an equal attraction between you two. It's actually pretty cute" She squeezed Touji just thinking of such things. Shinji just sat back down and let it all sink in as lunch finished.

A couple hours, one boring lecture, and Shinji thinking about what he had gotten himself into and school was over. As Shinji reached the front gates he saw Mayumi waiting for him. He started thinking about what his friends had told him and he began getting a little nervous. Seeing Shinji coming towards her, Mayumi's heart started beating faster.

"You ready" he asked.

"Yep" she chirped.

As the two students walked silently side by side towards their destination passers by could of sworn that they saw an actual aura of nervousness flowing between the two teenagers.

Reaching his apartment complex Shinji led Mayumi inside. He opened the front door and called out.

"Misato I'm back" after a few seconds of no answer he figure that she was still at Nerv. "Guess she's still at work" He told Mayumi. Going into Misato's room Shinji checked her answering machine and sure enough there was a message from Misato saying she wouldn't be back till the next day. Hearing this got Mayumi's blood pumping at the thought of being alone with Shinji.

Walking towards his room Shinji put away a few things and then guided Mayumi to the table they would be working at. Sitting down the two students pulled out their work and did what most teens don't usually do when they study together…they actually studied. After a few hours of equations Shinji noticed the time.

"Hey would you like to stay for dinner. I don't really like eating alone" Once again Mayumi was in heaven and just couldn't believe her luck.

"Yeah…sure".

"Great, I'll go get it started" Shinji stood up and Mayumi followed.

She was amazed at his culinary expertise and just looked on in awe as he finished up. Dinner was rather uneventful other then a compliment, a blush. followed by a modest thank you, and more blushing. After finishing up both realized how late it had gotten. Offering to take her home she accepted and the two headed towards her home. As they reached the front door to her apartment they said their goodbyes but not before she gave him a peck on the cheek.

"Goodnight Shinji and thanks for dinner" Mayumi was scarlet red from what she had done.

"Well um…thanks for helping me with my homework…we should do it again sometime" He wasn't doing any better then her.

"That sounds good. See you in school tomorrow" She gave him a little wave and closed the door. She leaned against the door and fell to the ground. This was the best day of her life.

Shinji just stood at the door and let everything sink in. Eventually he started slowly walking back home. Putting his hand on his cheek where she kissed him.

"See you in school" He said to himself and continued on his way.

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**A/N: This, my friends, is how you pair up Shinji and Mayumi (I've always wanted to). Learn well grasshopper.**

**For those of you who don't know who Mayumi Yamagishi is she was in the Sega Saturn game 'Evangelion 2****nd**** impression' and she is definitely out of character but I could really care less. Like Mana, Mayumi has some expandability that most writers use.**

**I would like to apologize to those who thought I just killed off Rei. I didn't want to do it but it had to be done to Rei for one of my ideas too work. Don't worry, I'll explain how she 'died' next chapter.  
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**I'm working on all my stories once again and I hope to update some of them soon. I'm not a popular writer but I'd like to think I have a few fans and I definitely don't want to disappoint them if they exist.**

**Like I always say "I have a life and hobbies come second to it" so production will remain slow but it shouldn't be too bad.**

**Review if you want to but a few reviews always help me focus better.**

**Read ya Later.**


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